Times/News

As expected, Highline School Board members voted Oct. 12 to place a $148 million capital facilities bond measure before voters on March 14.

The board is expected to approve the final ballot wording for the measure Oct. 26 or Nov. 9.

The measure would finance the rebuilding of four elementary schools: Shorewood in Burien, Midway and Parkside in Des Moines, and Marvista in Normandy Park.

McMicken Heights in SeaTac would also be rebuilt using state matching funds.

In addition, the bond would provide $3.3 million for Camp Waskowitz, the district's outdoor education facility near North Bend. The district would renovate the historic portions of the dining hall and build a new kitchen and water tower.

Two million dollars would be spent on security and safety upgrades at secondary schools including a camera surveillance system.

Strategic security fencing would also be placed around the secondary schools. The fences would not surround the schools but would be designed to narrow entry and exit points to and from the school grounds, according to Assistant Superintendent Geraldine Fain.

Additional security lighting would also be installed.

"Experts used to recommend the schools be blacked-out at night to discourage loitering, but now they recommend exterior lighting so district security patrols and police can see in when they drive by," Fain noted.

Technology upgrades totaling $9 million would be funded by the bond.

The district would upgrade the wide-area network, desktop computer equipment, printers, copiers, classroom telephone systems, exchange servers, instructional technology and student data system.

District staffers pointed out that parents would be able to check on their child's academic progress through the enhanced student data system.

Another $9.5 million would be earmarked for roofing projects and an emergency capital repairs fund.

The proposed bond covers the second phase of a three-part capital facilities plan with 36 projects, according to district officials.

On March 12, 2002, voters approved on the third try a bond funding the first 10 projects. Sixty-two percent of the ballots cast favored the bond.

School bonds must be approved by a 60-percent supermajority.

Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines is being rebuilt using funds from the first bond and will reopen in Sept. 2007.

SeaTac's Bow Lake and Burien's Cedarhurst elementaries are also being rebuilt using state matching funds from the 2002 bond.

Eric Mathison can be reached at hteditor@robinsonnews.com or 444-4873.